Author Notice: (29.03.2015)

I'm so sorry it's been forever since I've updated! But due to the constrictions I've imposed on this story I had to work on cramming what I feel is 5 chapters worth of writing into 2 chapters. If you haven't noticed, an Act in this story lasts 5 Chapters so yeah.

If you've been following my story for a while and you're reading this when this chapter was first released do the following: go back to Chapter 9, as Part 1: A Fogged Map was the only segment available before this update. Read Part 2: Political Avoidance and Part 3: Incorporated before proceeding to read Chapter 10. :)

X: Casualty

Yet those who reside in hallowed halls

Are deaf and dumb and blinded with fear,

Thus the yoke they wrought tightens

Like eternally reset pieces.

Part 1: To Remember Without Regret

Was his life going to be nothing but regret?

Oritel wallowed in the soapy water absently contemplating whether he should have left by now. It wasn't as if the world beyond the bath was worth returning to. He didn't actively look outside to remind himself of reality but the murmurs of the court followed him everywhere.

It would be little wonder if people believed Oritel was cursed as much as he did.

Then in the brief spats of solitude the darkness of Obsidian pervaded his thoughts. At least that's what Oritel thought those incoherent whispers were. And to his eternal shame, he felt the need for the darkness to linger at the back of his mind. It was his only mental crutch for the failure he had become.

If he could admit he was a useless king, he couldn't claim he was a good father. The rift between him and his surviving daughter had only grown as the years passed. Though she would never say it outright Oritel just knew she blamed him for Bloom's demise. What made it worse was that Daphne seemed to feel that her parents cared little for the loss of their youngest child.

She wasn't entirely wrong.

The king and queen of Domino could only see their youngest child as a stranger. Missing out on raising Bloom during her crucial childhood years was not the real issue. Daphne was the only child they thought they would have.

At Oritel and Marion's coronation wedding they had been approached by a reclusive sorceress and soothsayer named Maia. She had only come to the celebrations to inform the couple that their respective magical and spiritual alignments would mean they would have powerful offspring. Months later, the ancient order of Draconic Nymphs approached them with hefty news. Divine revelation had disclosed Marion's newly conceived child would not only be a nymph but a Keeper of the almighty Dragon Flame. Nymphs and Dragon Flame keepers were rare individuals and one who could be both was rarer still.

This information frightened the couple. While Flame Keepers were generally born of Domino's royal line there were no records of nymphs in their family. An individual with control over such juxtaposing abilities would not only possess incredible levels of magical power but be a threat to the delicate balance of sovereignty between nations.

Preparing for their child's arrival was a difficult process but both parents always believed that despite everything they had been blessed. From a very early age Daphne she conducted herself with uncommon grace that those surrounding her often commented she must be a divine being made flesh.

Daphne also easily pleased the nymphs of the Draconic Order and it came as no surprise she was officially ushered into their ranks at an incredibly young age. However it wasn't until Daphne was nine that she was sent to the great temple at Roccalucce. Her parents had only sent her away when they found it too difficult to hide the full nature of the Ancestral Witches' war.

Domino itself was not as severely affected as it could have been in that ten year struggle with the Ancestral Witches but nearly all the major and cadet branches of the royal family were lost. As terrible as that was, what would forever remain strange was how the conflict exploded without warning. It could almost have been mistaken as a catastrophic natural disaster when it began. Even now it couldn't be determined why the ancient coven decided to steal the Dragon Flame after eons of inaction. Oritel still remembered the days when the Ancestral Witches were considered nothing more but silly folk tales and even more so the shock of the entire Magical Dimension to know they really existed.

And not that contemplating battles between primordial beings meant much anymore. The cost of the war outweighed any desire to find real answers, especially since Bloom destroyed the Ancestral Witches permanently. This allowed them to incarcerate the Ancestral Coven's accursed descendants more easily. His youngest daughter did achieve much before she passed away.

He banished the regret with more recollection.

Oritel constantly ignored Marion's insistence that she should take on more duties while the war raged. She was still spent after Daphne's birth and the nymphs didn't expect her to make a complete recovery until their child reached fifteen years of age. Losing Marion would have been catastrophic for their people's morale.

Then Bloom was somehow conceived about thirteen years after Daphne's birth on the eve of Domino's destruction.

Domino's people remained incredibly superstitious. It was custom to believe circumstances played an important part in determining a newborn's spiritual and magical alignment. So their second child's nativity was considered a bad omen. What good could be expected of a child born to them in the thick of such a terrible war?

It led to the circulation of some vicious rumours. Like the idea that the Ancestral Witches' "son" Fredrick Baltor might have masqueraded as the king of Domino and seduced Marion, in order to conceive an abomination capable of undermining their kingdom from within.

Regardless everything seemed to go downhill after that.

Oritel rushed to the great temple of Draconic Order in order to consult them about the situation. By the time he arrived the Roccalucce sanctuary was defiled and all its inhabitants slain. The Ancestral Witches were targeting the ancient strongholds of the various orders dedicated to the Great Dragon or light magic. The exact purpose remained vague other than senseless destruction. Oritel's party managed to find a handful of nymphs taking refuge in an isolated part of Andros and he was relieved to discover Daphne among them.

When he brought them all back to Domino and explained the situation to the older nymphs privately they took the information incredibly badly. It was only a few days before the group of nymphs left Daphne in their care and ceased correspondence with no explanation. Neither Marion nor Oritel could think of what offence they could have caused. And they gained no insight from Daphne for the nymphs had told their daughter nothing.

Oritel and Marion had never told anyone how the surviving nymphs left Domino. Not even with their friends in the Company of Light for fear of what backlash would arise from their revelations. The king and queen became more desperate and started pouring their resources into finding the only other person that might shed more insight into the meaning behind their second child's coming.

Maia had never said they would only have one offspring. But Daphne's birth had been a painfully long process and nearly killed Marion. Then the nymphs of the Draconic Order had treated Daphne's coming as if she would be their only heir.

What infuriated Oritel was that Maia was completely unreachable for the duration of the war. The damned sorceress even had the gall to approach her former apprentice to provide "special training" for Bloom while they were still trapped in Obsidian. When Faragonda informed them of this Oritel immediately sent scouts to Pyros. Once again Maia was nowhere to be found and her absence during all these years left him with dark suspicions.

Their second child's arrival was not as tenuous as Daphne's had been but it brought no reassurances. The baby girl possessed no noticeable dark or light alignment. Royal physicians had come to the conclusion their child seemed to have some kind of power that was undefinable by traditional magical or spiritual boundaries.

While the war raged their child's existence was sowing doubt and fear. At that point the parents were contemplating sending their second-born away to be raised by some distant nobility far from Domino. It was a temporary arrangement. It wasn't as if Marion and Oritel didn't want this second child. She had simply arrived at a dangerous time and an enigmatic quality which made her a risk to everyone.

As soon as she was told of the arrival of her sibling Daphne wanted to see her. She was possibly the only person in the kingdom that rejoiced at her sister's arrival. At first her parents were hesitant but she continued to persist.

That was when her parents became aware of something they had dangerously overlooked. The sight of Daphne playing happily with her newborn sister was a grim reminder that for all her power and willingness to perform her duty, she was still very much a child.

Their daughter would pay the price for her naivety.

A vicious assault so close to their base of operations forced Marion and Oritel to leave their children in the palace, though it remained relatively well guarded. They still reluctantly ordered Daphne to protect her sister at all costs and flee the palace if necessary. In the midst of the carnage Faragonda arrived with the recently defected Griffin who revealed the current battle was only a diversion. The Ancestral Witches had sent an infiltration party comprised of Baltor and a contingent of new allies: Draconic nymphs. They were to eliminate both of their children.

The guards on duty had clearly never expected nymphs to be their enemies and were cut down without mercy. The soldiers tried to hold the invaders off while Daphne did her best to conjure a portal to whisk her sibling and herself to safety. But their enemies were too powerful. Daphne only had time to send her sister through an unstable portal and where it led was anyone's guess. Before she could follow her sibling she was stopped by Politea, an older nymph that Daphne considered more friend than mentor. The nymph cast a fatal curse that stripped the flesh from the young girl's body and rendered her a bodiless spirit.

When Marion or Oritel entered the scene of their children's demise their enemies were still trying to reopen Daphne's portal. The nymphs used Baltor as a diversion rather than risk getting themselves captured. Baltor revealed nothing when interrogated. Had not the rest of the Company of Light made arrangements to imprison him in the Omega Dimension, Oritel still thought he probably would have killed the wizard in his state of heightened grief and despair.

None of the Draconic nymphs were ever seen again. In fact all manner of nymph disappeared from the Magical Dimension when Domino fell. It had led Daphne to believe that the remainder of the order had rejected the ways of light. It was a bitter fact with little contradicting evidence which still affected her deeply.

Now that Bloom was dead it was painfully clear any childish reverence Daphne may have held for her parents was gone. Their surviving daughter was a disillusioned woman whose youth had been sucked dry by war and duty.

Oritel looked dumbly at the rest-deprived reflection in the rippling water staring at him. A harsh clatter of fist on wood and questioning voices drifted into his ears.

"Your majesty?"

Reflexively the king splashed water in his face and rubbed his eyes. "Y-yes?"

"Queen Marion has returned to the palace sire."

The Light Council let her go? A mixture of relief and confusion bubbled in the king's mind and he found himself unable to say anything. But he was certainly feeling less weary than he had been mere moments ago.

"Sire?" came a wary inquiry.

"If they officially released my wife, why didn't they announce this in advance?"

The servant hesitated for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure sire. I suppose they didn't think to give the courtesy. And as far as we can tell, all so-called charges against her have been dropped and no trial is to take place at all."

Oritel pulled himself out of the water. "Where is my wife now?" he asked as he wiped the excess water off his body with a towel.

"She went straight to your royal chambers, your majesty."

"Alright, I'll finish reading through those reports first." the king declared as he pulled a crimson robe over his undergarments.

"Yes…I have been told the queen looks very exhausted to say the least. She would perhaps benefit from some rest before you see her."

I can only hope. Oritel heaved before leaving the bathroom.

Part 2: To Control a Chance Meeting

"I'm only being cautious! And since when have you been this snarky?"

That was the last thing the Androsian had snapped before Tecna terminated the call.

Snarky? The Zenithian still frowned as she walked through the city streets. She wasn't snarky! And why did she care? Tecna was also not obliged to tell Aisha why she decided to come to Eraklyon. Tecna was an independent and powerful individual and she didn't need a self-indulgent princess telling her what she could and couldn't do.

As much as Aisha liked to paint the kingdom nowadays as hostile alien territory Tecna knew that unlike primordial powers of darkness Eraklyon was a nation made up of people. And as such there was bound to be people in the kingdom who could be encouraged to part with some information.

Tecna would normally have sent one of her agents but she had been convinced that obtaining this intel was worth her personal attention. Naturally Timmy was also hesitant but they both knew that his wife would always get her way.

"I don't need to tell you to be careful but…"

Tecna sighed a little contentedly while she walked. The weather about her was neither pleasant nor overbearing and the streets she traversed were not packed like a Magix rush hour. It suited her mood. Now that Timmy knew the full nature of his wife's investigations it filled her with strange reassurance.

She shook her head a little. She needed to be in a completely professional state of mind when she met with this contact.

"T-Tecna? Is that you?"

Very few people called her out by name anymore so the Zenithian felt she had been caught off guard. She turned in the direction from whence the voice came.

It was an unkempt blonde man. He wasn't particularly filthy for his attire was aristocratic in fashion. But his hair was greasy, his face sullen and its expressions twitchy. There was this sickly air about him either because he was unclean or it seemed he was faintly exuding negative energy. The man didn't look particularly magical but by then it didn't matter as she realised who he was.

"Sky?"

"Ah so y-you do remember me?" the Eraklyonese Prince laughed nervously as he scratched his head.

"How couldn't I? I mean…sorry it's…just been a while." Tecna's tone became unintentionally soft as she looked the man up and down. She couldn't believe she had correctly identified him.

"Yeah it's been a while since I've seen anyone friendly." Sky agreed. "Sorry I didn't mean to bother you, you're probably here on business. That's what you do now right? I mean you and Timmy are running a company back on Zenith or something."

Tecna nodded. She hadn't expected to run into the Prince so she was doing her best to keep to conversation unsuspiciously civil. "Yes. I just didn't imagine seeing you out here. What are you doing so far from the palace?"

"Oh? Well, ah…you probably know I'm no longer the Crown Prince or anything so…I just either wander about the city or help the authorities if they let me."

"If they let you? You mean to say you don't have any duties whatsoever?"

"No I don't really have anything serious to do anymore." Sky shrugged fretfully. "Why?"

"From what the official government press releases had to say, I thought you were only being temporarily relived of your duties as Crown Prince." the fairy watched Sky's body language. He obviously wasn't comfortable talking about himself but she was curious. "Doesn't that bother you? I don't know much about Eraklyonese politics but you were raised to lead Eraklyon. It doesn't make sense to me that you aren't allowed to do anything."

"W-well…I guess I'm just lucky that the government and my parents are quite understanding that I'm probably…n-not up to the task anymore. I mean, I've just been like this…ever since Bloom…well…"

Tecna watched as Sky fumbled and mumbled as he broke down and started wheezing heavily. She found herself wondering how the man had ended up this way.

The suppression of Domino and Eraklyon's imperialistic behaviour dominated headlines across the Magical Dimension but no one really bothered themselves with finding out what Sky had been up to since Bloom's death. She realised she hadn't thought much about the Eraklyonese Prince either until now either. Then again she never gave the man much importance.

Perhaps her knowledge was limited because he Timmy's friend rather than hers, but Tecna never felt that Sky could be sincere. He was the typical aristocratic bonehead and painfully average. She'd only seen him excel at following orders and even his swordsmanship wasn't particularly remarkable. His only real outstanding quality was his charming looks and his highborn position; like any other useless royal prick.

Because of her Zenithian origins Tecna been bred with a distaste for the flamboyant aristocrats of realms like Eraklyon and Solaria and thus tended to keep someone like Sky at arm's length. Sometimes she wondered what Bloom could have possibly seen in such a man-child. Well she was noble in the end too wasn't she? Tecna would never understand it.

Did Sky really love Bloom so much he'd stay this irreparably broken over her death after all of these years? It was possible. Tecna never really cared to keep a critical eye on Sky and there was no point in starting to.

If his own kingdom was happy enough to put his cousin in charge and let him bum around (despite the fact he was first in line for Eraklyon's throne) that indicated how unimportant he was. Tecna couldn't see the point in trying to grill him for detailed information either. Timmy often complained how exceptionally difficult it was to study with Sky back in Red Fountain. She doubted his intelligence had improved since then if his current miserable appearance was anything to go by.

The Zenithian also couldn't stop noticing that filthy quality about him which continued to disturb her.

"S-sorry, I don't really like talking about this stuff." Sky apologized after he recovered from his panic attack. "Um…y-you're always so professional and inquisitive about everything Tecna."

"It's what my work is all about Sky. I know it's not my place, but I couldn't help but ask about what you've been up to. None of us have really talked with you since Bloom passed away."

"Y-yeah I suppose that's true." Sky looked like he was going to become sick at another mention of his dead fiancé. "Brandon is doing more military work as well rather than just staying my squire so…"

"I see." Tecna glanced at her watch. "I best be off. I'm going to be late for my appointment at this rate Sky."

"Oh? So soon I just…oh right you're here on some business. I don't really see old friends as much as I used to so it's…good to see you again." Sky stepped forward and shook Tecna's hand. "I'll say something to the city authorities. They won't give you any trouble while you stay here."

"That won't be necessary." the Zenithian said crisply. "Like you said, I'm just here on business. No need to trouble the guards particularly about my safety. I'm not exactly a celebrity heroine or anything right now."

"Oh? Of…of course. Sorry, I guess I forget everyone else is doing more professional things than I ever will. W-well alright then. I guess I'll see you around. Say hi to Timmy for me, yeah?"

She nodded and didn't even utter a goodbye as Sky headed off in the direction of the metropolis' aristocratic quarter. Now she felt somewhat nervous that she would have to meet her contact in the same area of the capital. A gut feeling told her things would be better if she didn't run into the troubled prince again.

Tecna wiped away his sweaty handshake on her sleeve.

Part 3: To Dream Without Longing

"Marion?"

She shivered. Like the dimmed lighting of the bedchambers the voice was soft, unassuming and carried no underlying motive.

He waited before he spoke again. "If you still want to rest alone I can always retire to–"

"No! N-no…I'd…it's fine. Please…" she replied exhaustedly.

Oritel hardly made a sound as he disrobed and slid under the sheets next to her. He never wasted time asking the painfully obvious questions. He knew her too well to do that.

His fingers led her into his warm embrace, twitching with nervousness as much as relief. As much as they were happy to be in each other's company they were young lovers no longer. Their relationship could not be the only thing that mattered. Oritel was King and she was his Queen. He was probably aching for answers and deserved them from the one he ruled beside. She tried to mentally prepare herself to answer at least to him when she was released but she still didn't feel ready for it.

Many in their court were hesitant for Marion to essentially surrender to the Light Council but a few thought that it would be a good sign of cooperation. Not that it mattered. If a Queen could be treated so rudely as she had been then she was of a realm that other powers could afford to affront. Wouldn't her friends have tried to intervene by now, at least negotiate with the Light Council to release her? All those years trying to unite the Magical Dimension, gaining allies and befriending leaders of other nations had meant nothing. Domino clung to past glories to survive against a universe that seemed to react on impulse against them.

Why hadn't she fought back at all against all of this?

The officials who came to her with questions were politely cruel. It was as if they were trying to make her confess for an unatoned crime. Their inquiries always carried an ever growing tone of disdain and callousness as the months wore on. She was never physically threatened or degraded either but it was the long moments of idle isolated silences that were the daily torture.

Sometimes she felt that days had been stolen from her but she never noticed because she spent so much time doing nothing. Sometimes she dreamed for the dark restless sleep she had experienced in Obsidian. Sometimes she desperately wanted it. No, she needed it…

And after a while Marion didn't feel like she had been brought to be questioned, she had been brought to be observed. To what end still eluded her but the silences sapped her of any desire to do anything about it, filling her with something else. Those particular thoughts were the only thing that stayed in her mind.

"What did they want?" he finally asked.

Too much had happened in the last couple of years but Marion struggled to find the will to recount it in detail. Honestly she had forgotten most of all the technical questions because there was only one train of thought that she could focus on. How could it not be? In the end all of the Light Council's questions led to her one way or the other.

"They wanted what I knew about Bloom."

Those few words told Oritel everything; but he didn't want to believe that was it and responded with a more politically sound complaint. "If times were normal the Light Council wouldn't get away with what it has done to us."

"When has any time been normal? Do we even know what that means? Besides they're not interested in Domino. They don't care what happens to us, all they want is her or anything she may have left behind."

"But why? Why would they detain you for nearly two years just to ask you about Bloom? Why–"

"I DON'T KNOW!" months of strain creaked in Marion's voice. "I don't know and that's the worst of it. I know nothing about my own daughter! My dead daughter, dead before I even really tried to–"

"Marion. Stop."

"Why? What am I supposed to do now? I wasn't blaming myself back then when she died, I was in denial! I've been pretending that she didn't matter for years because I was too cowardly to do much about it."

"Marion…we can't…you can't keep focusing on this." Oritel tried to choose his words carefully. "You were already blaming yourself for what happened when the Rending started and before we foolishly agreed to cooperate with the Light Council!"

"We didn't even try to give Bloom a chance!"

"Are you even listening to me? I thought we could talk about what–"

"I didn't hate her! She probably died thinking that didn't she?! I…I just wanted everything to be normal…couldn't she see that?"

Oritel realised that he wasn't getting through as his worst fears for Marion's mental health were confirmed. Then thoughts crossed his mind about why the Light Council released his wife so suddenly so then he asked: "And you told the Light Council all of these emotions you were feeling?"

"Eventually. What those old men were doing was far harder to deal with. They didn't put me in shackles or torment me with threats of death. They just left me to think about everything I had failed to do. Maybe Bloom was part of something bigger and more sinister and I just couldn't see it but I…I don't even know what they really wanted from me in the end. When I broke…I think that's why they let me go..."

Oritel opened his mouth but nothing came out. His wife was a nervous wreck and the only reason she wasn't arguing more was because she was utterly exhausted. He already heard it in her cracking voice and her jagged breathing. He felt it as he held her fragile frame.

There was a part of him that was angry. Complete strangers had the nerve to do this to Marion but there was nothing he could do now. The desire to find answers seemed to become less and less important as he thought on his more immediate concerns.

All Marion had taken away from her detention in Lightrock was how they both failed as parents. She was only saying these things because she was trying to convince Oritel, trying to convince herself, that she did want to love Bloom and kept on dreaming how she would have treated her if circumstances had been different…

What could he say to ease her pain? What could he even do? He felt even more helpless knowing couldn't truly rely on his wife for support. She was the one who needed his strength. But did he have any left to give?

"They probably didn't want to know anything about Bloom." Marion whimpered after another long while when the darkness of night was heavier. "Maybe they just wanted the satisfaction of having a kingdom like ours at their mercy. It must have been empowering to have a Queen supposedly descended from dragons wailing at their feet."

Oritel closed his eyes, knowing any further conversation would bring no comfort. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Part 4: To Discover Without Loss

Tecna walked briskly in the direction of the capital's space-port. At least she was smart enough to purchase a departure ticket for the same day.

The contact and everything they had to say was…shocking. It still didn't really add up with the data she had been gathering. Nonetheless it cast Bloom and their Winx Club in a completely different light.

What was bothering Tecna the most was that if Bloom had known about this affair from the start, why did she feel the need to keep up that charade of normalcy for all those years? And how was Bloom was so politically aware she chose to pursue restoring Domino the way she did?

It also aggravated Tecna somewhat that she was completely oblivious these intrigues that had been underpinning their group from the first year they spent together at Alfea. But the revelations were definitely putting some pieces together.

Flora's general distrust of everyone made more sense. It didn't surprise Tecna to think that Bloom may have told Flora the truth while she was still alive. They were roommates after all how could they not be that close. Musa's reluctance to associate with her friends more than necessary might be an indication of how much she knew. Tecna thought that perhaps Aisha knew the truth and just chose to ignore it like any other self-entitled aristocrat. But the Androsian's was too outspoken about Eraklyon's lack of morality so there was no way she would turn a blind eye to this affair. And Stella…

Tecna bit her lip. Obviously their Specialist acquaintances or Bloom's relatives couldn't have known about it. But that couldn't be entirely true either. Besides Sky, Brandon was raised as a retainer for Eraklyon's royalty so it was reasonable enough to believe he also knew something. He always served Eraklyon far too dutifully even when engaged to the Crown Princess of Solaria.

It was bad enough thinking how blowing this into the open could drive the Winx Club apart even further. None of them had been particularly close for years but they still relied on each other for support in some ways.

If the Rending had never happened it probably would have been some great scandal at worst. But in the current paranoid climate the entire Magical Dimension could fall into utter anarchy if the information became public knowledge. It was silly to think that such an affair would provoke that kind of reaction though nothing was impossible. The Zenithian was finding it hard to keep herself composed. This wasn't the place to unpack her thoughts.

She needed to focus on leaving Eraklyon as quickly as possible.

Tecna was fighting the urge to use her fairy powers to reach the space-port. Magic might attract the attention of the authorities and she didn't want to give the Eraklyonese officials any reason to detain her. The Zenithian scowled as she looked up the quickest routes to get to her destination. She was now in the winding alleyways of the capital's industrial sector but the fact she didn't know the city well was starting to work against her.

"Back in Alfea you weren't this full of yourself! Is your brain just full of money nowadays?!"

It was bad enough thinking there was wisdom to Aisha's words. There probably would have been fewer problems if she had been part of a royal entourage.

Maybe it wasn't too late to be part of one. Turning off her map tracker, Tecna started scrolling through her mobile features in order to find the Androsian's number before switching her phone back on so it could receive calls again.

Too focused on the screen, Tecna smacked right into another person as she turned into an alleyway. Her mobile device flew from her hand and clattered into a corner of rusted fuel canisters and industrial waste bins. She managed to steady herself so she wouldn't fall onto the pavement.

"I'm so s-sorry!" the Zenithian stuttered trying to maintain calm. "I–"

Her mother was not going to be pleased when she found out her daughter had become waylaid yet again. But right now that was the least of Aisha's concerns.

She had hoped against hope that her friend could be lucky enough to pass unnoticed before she arrived. This was the last place she wanted to be, but she knew Eraklyon had become a place too dangerous for even Tecna to handle alone.

And why was she alone? Didn't she run an information brokerage and paid people to collect information? There was no need for her to come in person and if that was the case she should have been smart enough to bring bodyguards. Aisha knew Tecna wasn't telling her everything, but she had too much on her plate to confront her about it. Why did the Zenithian have to be so stubborn…

"Why hasn't she picked up again?" the Androsian Crown princess grumbled. "Any new details?"

"No your highness, but multiple news outlets are reporting the terrorist attack occurred in the industrialised sector of Eraklyon's capital." one of Aisha's guards informed them with a finger still on his listening device.

"That's ridiculous! How could any terrorist get past all of this Eraklyonese security?" Aisha re-dialled Tecna's number. "And what's more if there was a flashy attack like all of these reporters suggest I'm pretty sure we would have seen it!"

Her entourage had left the Androsian Embassy a while ago after a public announcement stated the western part of the capital was to be locked down. Gossip started circulating this was because a terrorist attack had occurred. Not willing to trust or wait for official press releases Aisha decided to see the site of the event first hand. She believed it could help shed insight into how Eraklyon handled internal occurrences, which could increase her knowledge on future dealings with the antagonistic realm.

It was a long shot but it was better than doing nothing. They still needed to move quickly before the authorities did something. Aisha closed her mobile device after hearing the automated "Call could not be connected." apology repeated itself for the twentieth time.

"I think we've narrowed down on a location!" Francine shouted from the cockpit as she gave instructions to the pilot. "Our scouts have seen a crowd gathering in the alleyways that the authorities haven't been able to disperse."

"Is there any structural damage, any sign of a terrorist attack?" Aisha couldn't see anything outside as they had deliberately darkened the vehicle to hide the passengers within.

"No. Only people outside of the western sector of the capital think it's a terrorist attack. I'm not really sure what is happening. Authorities are starting to disable communication wavelengths and supress the information, your highness."

"We'll find out what this is soon enough." the Crown Princess grated as their hovercraft landed on a building not too far from the location and went into camouflage mode.

Aisha and her guards pulled on their cloaks and gave the pilot instructions regarding their return. They moved away quickly towards the location and soon found themselves surrounded by a motley crowd clamouring to see whatever it was.

"You assholes don't tell us anything straight up!" someone shouted. "I want to see who it is!"

"I guess the authorities have to keep their people in the dark even at this level." Francine muttered as the group pushed towards the front.

They were still a bit far when a shot resounded and people gasped with fright. Aisha managed to see a city guard had fired into the air and was accompanied by a nervous spokesperson. The man was clearly stressed out by the situation so the guard rolled his eyes and spoke up instead. "Alright listen up! All citizens are to return to their homes immediately, as in right now. We've been repeating this for quite some time now so this is your final warning."

"Or what?!" another voice called out.

"You get shot, simple as that! It's not like any of you industrial lowlifes are even allowed to leave the capital. All of you are stuck in this shit part of the city for a reason!" the guard shouted and pointed his gun at the crowd which was already starting to cause some to back away.

"I'm not sure I want to find out what he meant by that." an Androsian guard whispered hastily as they moved closer to the front. "I guess if they treat their own people like this we shouldn't really be surprised that…"

"Okay that's it!" the guard barked and pointed his gun at the closest person he could lay his eyes on.

"Damn it! Move, move!" Aisha hissed reflexively moving faster. This wasn't her kingdom but no one was going to needlessly die.

Shrieks resounded as the guard fired. But before the gun blast could hit anyone a hand caught it. More murmurs resounded at the sight.

"Who do you think you are to interfere with the business of a city guard?!" the brute shouted angrily.

"Someone well beyond your authority to command." Aisha destroyed the shot in her hand as she and her guards pulled back their cloaks and assumed defensive positions.

"The Crown P-Princess of Andros?" the spokesperson asked shakily. "Oh…oh dear. What are y-you doing so far from the Androsian Embassy? If you've lost your way…"

"I came to see firsthand the occurrence that would cause you to close down an entire sector of your own capital and threaten the lives of the citizens I thought you were supposed to be protecting." Aisha replied dryly.

"W-well…this is the scene of a h-heinous crime your highness. It's a little difficult for–"

"This is a crime scene? Complete with a mob of onlookers? It's also a big step down from a so called terrorist attack." Francine scoffed.

"W-well yes that is what this really is." the spokesperson tugged his collar. "Rumours and speculation tend to travel faster around here before official news can be broadcasted. We believe the victim wasn't local and it doesn't look like they would have any business in these parts so–"

"Victim?" Aisha broke in incredulously.

At this point some the rest Eraklyonese soldiers were really starting to notice the Androsians and were whispering amongst themselves. One of them shoved the guard who had shot at the crowd aside and clamped his hand on the spokesperson's shoulder roughly.

The man looked back at the soldier then to the group nervously. "I-I'm sorry but as you can see my superiors are telling me I'm not supposed to say any more on the subject."

"This is ridiculous." Francine couldn't help but hiss.

"No!" Aisha returned impatiently. "I'm sick of all of these silly political pantomimes and it speaks volumes that you can't give someone like me a straight answer! You want to be diplomatic and respectful? Well you can shove yourself to the side and let me see this so-called crime scene with my own eyes!"

The Crown Princess angrily pushed her way past the Eraklyonese soldiers to get to the area they had closed off. Both the local soldiers and the gathered crowd looked stunned by her sudden show of forcefulness. Aisha kept muttering under her breath as more startled whispers began stirring behind her.

"Y-your highness wait a moment!" Francine called while the Androsian guards did their best to follow their princess, keeping the soldiers from holding their group away. They had only turned the corner into an alleyway when they heard a panicked cry.

"AH!"

Aisha's hand flew to her mouth when she saw the body of her magenta-haired friend. The Zenithian's shimmering fairy blood still trickled off her body like the contents of her partially broken skull that oozed onto the pavement.

Tecna's face was transfixed in a deathly expression of disbelief.

END OF ACT 2